Thursday, September 16, 2010

MONTHS ago my friend Naomi and I got together to embark on a baking adventure. (And then I got delayed with fruit pies and birthdays - sorry!) And as with most adventures, there was laughter, tears, drama and heartbreak. OK, mostly just laughter. Naomi always makes me laugh. Sometimes unintentionally. There were also cookies! Specifically 'Pillow Cookies.' What are pillow cookies, you may ask? Well take a look.That's right, a brownie, inside a chocolate chip cookies. Apart - they're delicious. Together - they are brought to new heights.

Now, as you know, I only bake with my friends so that I can prove my superiority in the kitchen. And this experience was no different. The most difficult step in this recipe was wrapping the chocolate chip cookie dough around the brownie. Wel...you see that one in the top right...not mine. That's all I'm saying.We also ended up with cookie dough...everywhere. And as we were scraping it off of our hands, Naomi looked at me in despair and proclaimed, "these aren't pillow cookies, they're a sham!"
I immediately burst out laughing, shaking so hard that I had to put my handful of cookie dough down and steady myself on the counter. Naomi just looked at me. "I didn't think it was that funny," she said. We continued cleaning.Ten minutes later, as the cookies were baking, Naomi looks up at me and says "I get it! Sham, pillow, I didn't even realize." And so the adventure was complete.So, have fun baking these with friends, or serve up a plate of them and watch them discover the surprise inside.

We used (gasp!) a box mix for the brownies just for simplicity's sake, but I recommend a simple brownie recipe below if you would rather not. I won't do it again I promise!

Tip of the Day: Using a pizza slicer can be good for cutting bar cookies and brownies evenly - especially when incorporating them into another recipe like this one.

Recipe: (from Bakerella)
1 pan of brownies - can be a mix, or the recipe from here

When the brownies are cooled, cut them into 1-inch squares.
Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
Beat in the eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, until combined.
Add the vanilla.
Stir in the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Stir in the chocolate chips.
Chill the dough for an hour.
Using about a half a cup of dough, wrap it around the brownie square.
Place on a parchment-paper lined baking sheet. Do not bake more than 6 cookies at a time.
Bake at 350 F for about 18 minutes, or until lightly browned.